Electrostatic precipitator



R. W. WARBURTON ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR `Ian. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April l, 1954 Iiaveazoz4.- A/ M WaeBUQv-ozv ly @Ganz J. @M

2,730,191 ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR Ruy W. Warburton, Medfield, Mass.,assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Y Application April 1, 1954, Serial No.420,365

2 Claims. (Cl. 18S-A7) This invention relates to electrostaticprecipitators for removing small foreign particles such as dust fromgases such as air.

The most commonly used electrostatic precipitators for cleaning airemploy ionizers upstream with respect to air ow of collector plates. Theionizers usually consist of fine wires supported between and insulatedfrom, relatively large non-dscharging ionizer electrodes such as metaltubes. The insulators for supporting the ionizer wire assemblies areusually tubular and have tapped metal inserts in their ends forreceiving screws which secure the insulators to the precipitator casing,and which secure the ionizer wire assembly to the insulators. Suchinsulators usually project into the air stream causing turbulence in theair flow, and are exposed to the washer sprays when the electrodes arewashed and coated with adhesive.

This invention provides an ionizer wire frame assembly In one embodimentof this invention, a frame has end plates of spring metal with ionizerwire supporting rods extending therebetween.

precipitator casing. The resiliency of the end plates of spring metalmaintains the assembly in position without requiring the usual screws orbolts.

An object of this invention is to simplify the ionizer frame assembliesof electrostatic precipitators.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ionizer wiresupporting frame which can be installed without the use of bolts orscrews.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ionizer wiresupporting frame having supporting insulators which do not protrude intothe air stream passing the ionizer electrodes.

This invention will now be described with reference to the annexeddrawings, of which:

Fig. l is a plan view looking downwardly, with top removed, upon anelectrostatic precipitator embodying this invention, the collector cellsbeing omitted;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partially in section, of the precipitator;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the precipitator,and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a turned and alignedportions 15 which serve to position the collector cells which are notillustrated. The side .sheet 13 also has the circular, inwardly turnedportions 16 and 17 which are horizontally aligned with similar inturnedportions 18 and 19 respectively, of the side sheet 14. The inner sidesof the sheet portions 16, 17, 18 and 19 are flattened and have circularopenings therein through which extend the outer cylindrical bosses 20 ofthe insulators 21. The insulators 21 have inner cylinin the end plates23 of spring metal, of the ionizer frame, and which have the slots 35therein.

The metal tubes 25 extend between the ends of the wardly mldway betweeneach end tube 25 and the center tube 26 where they extend around theinner bosses 22 of the insulators 21.

The small rods 2S of spring metal have their outer ends held in slots inthe upper tube 25, and extend inwardly of the ionizer wires 29 attachedto their inner ends. The rods 31 have their outer ends held in slots inthe tube 26. Alternate of the rods 31 extend inwardly and upwardly andtheir inner ends support alternate ionizer wires 29 at their ends. Theothers of the rods 31 extend inwardly and downwardly and their innerends support the other ionizer wires.

The casing 10 has the upper and lower plates 30 between which extend thecylindrical tubes 34 which are non-discharging ionizer electrodes andwhich extend midway between adjacent ionizer wires 29. The curved,inwardly protruding, metal sheets 36 also extend between the plates 30and form end non-discharging ionizer electrodes.

For installing the ionizer wire frame assembly, one of the insulators21, say the right lower one of Fig. 2, would the right causing bothspring plates to Hex inwardly, permitting the lower right insulator 21to be slipped in between the portion 19 of the side sheet 13 and thatportion ot' the left spring plate 23 which is opposite same. The innerboss 22 on that insulator is then inserted in the circular openingprovided therefor in the lower portion of the left spring plate 23, andthe outer boss 20 of the same insulator is inserted in the circularopening provided therefor in the portion 19 of the side sheet 13. Thenwhen pressure is released from the left spring plate, it lexes to theleft pressing the lower left insulator between it and the portion 19 ofthe side sheet 13. The two lower insulators will now maintain the lowerportion of the frame in position. Next, one of the upper insulators 21,say the right one, would have its outer boss 20 inserted in the openingprovided therefor in the portion 16 of the side sheet 14, and would haveits inner boss 22 inserted in right for providing room to insert theupper left insulator 21 with its inner boss 22 in the opening providedtherefor in the upper portion of the left spring plate 23, and with itsouter boss in the circular opening provided therefor in the portion 1Sof the side sheet 13. Then pressure would be removed from the leftspring plate 23 following which the two spring plates would ex outwardlyto press the four insulators 21 rmly between the plates 23 and theinwardly extending portions 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the side sheets.

The ionizer wire frame can easily be removed by reversing the proceduredescribed in the foregoing. lOne person can easily 'insert and removethe frame without requiring any tools.

What I claim is:

l. An electrostatic precipitator comprising a casing having a gas inlet,an ionizer frame having a pair of end ioniz'er wire supports and acentral ionizer wire support, said frame having a pair of resilient sideplates attached to the ends of said supports, said side plates betweensaid end supports and said central support having outwardly bowedportions, a lir'st pair of insulators having their outer Aends attachedto one of the sides of said casing adjacent said inlet and having theirinner ends attached to the outwardly bowed portions of one of said sideplates, and a second pair of insulators having their outer ends attachedto the opposite side of said casing adjacent said inlet and having theirinner ends attached to the outwardly bowed portions of the other of saidside plates.

2. An electrostatic precipitator as claimed in claim 1 in which the sideplates have circular openings in their outwardlyv bowed portions,4 andin which the insulators have cylindrical inner ends in said openings.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,437,717 Werner 1---- Mar. 16, 1948 2,454,538 Bazley et al Nov. 23,1948 15 2,476,248 MacKenzie July 12, 1949

